6/28/2013

In the most recent issue (June 24, 2013) of the national publication Community College Week, Calhoun Community College was listed among the nation’s Top 50 Associate Degree producers for Registered, Administration, Research and Clinical Nursing graduates.

With 214 graduates during the 2011-12 academic year (the period of time ranked in the article), Calhoun was listed 44th among the Top 50. Additionally, the college posted the greatest increase in graduates from 2010-11 to 2011-12, at 60%.

“We feel that our increased focus on graduation and completion has been key in the uptick we are seeing in our graduation numbers,” commented Calhoun President Marilyn Beck. “The implementation of specific strategies geared toward increasing graduation rates continues to be a major objective in the college’s Strategic Plan, and we stress the importance of completion and graduation from the very first day students enter our doors,” Beck added.

“Our efforts focused on completion seem to be paying off college-wide.” “We had our largest graduating class ever this year, with over 1800 students qualifying and close to 475 actually participating in the graduation ceremonies in May,” said Beck.

As was stated in this issue of Community College Week “associate degrees and two-year certificates are central to workforce development efforts across the United States. Despite the fiscal constraints that have negatively impacted appropriations to public institutions, degree and certificate production have improved.”

“We are proud that Calhoun continues to be recognized among this region’s most successful workforce and economic development engines,” Beck said. “Our graduates are quite successful, whether their goal is to transfer to a four-year program or go directly into the workforce as you will find with most of our nursing graduates.”